New Delhi, July 10: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has received official responses from instant messaging giants WhatsApp and Telegram regarding the security implications of their upcoming username features. An official confirmed the receipt of the documentation on Thursday but declined to share specific operational details. The submissions came on the final day of a revised deadline, which was established after the government granted WhatsApp a four-day extension following a high-level consultation with company executives on July 2.
The regulatory scrutiny began earlier this month due to growing digital safety apprehensions. The technology ministry issued formal notices to WhatsApp on July 1, followed by Telegram and Signal on July 3, amid deep concerns that username-based messaging could significantly heighten the risks of impersonation, identity theft, phishing, and digital fraud. While WhatsApp and Telegram met the strict submission deadline, Signal did not respond to official enquiries regarding its security protocols.
To mitigate government concerns, parent company Meta outlined several protective measures integrated into its upcoming architecture. A Meta spokesperson declared, “The company will ban accounts or revoke usernames if they find evidence of identity impersonation or scams.” The spokesperson maintained that existing Facebook and Instagram usernames will be reserved for their original owners during an initial setup window to maintain continuity.
Furthermore, the technology firm is blocking access to high-risk terms to prevent bad actors from deceiving the public. The company representative affirmed that usernames belonging to public figures, government entities, celebrities, and verified Meta accounts, alongside potential lookalike variations, will be restricted exclusively to their legitimate owners. The platforms were explicitly asked by the ministry to clarify the specific safeguards integrated into their username features before rolling them out to the general public.
